The Great Getaway: The Essential Holiday Dresses Guide

Tips on packing, summer styling and most importantly, choosing the right holiday dresses.

Special occasions require special dresses

Holidays are for enjoying yourself with indulgent evenings out sampling the local cuisine and drinking cocktails, you shouldn't be worrying about what to wear. Dresses never fail to make a statement, and contrary to popular belief are easy-to-wear, versatile and take up a smaller amount of space in your suitcase. So it only makes sense to take a few on holiday with you. From day dresses to evening dresses and dresses for special events, there really is a dress for every holiday occasion. When it comes to holiday packing we follow a few rules, and really, every clever fashionista does.

Be appropriate

So you've decided where you're going, good start. Whether you've booked a far flung exotic escape or are about to embark on some cultured city exploring, packing a suitable and appropriate holiday wardrobe is your first move. Stomping around a sun soaked city requires flat shoes, practical bags, lighter fabrics and fuss-free pieces. Whereas escapes to exotic climes usually need a more casual and relaxed wardrobe. But what's important to remember, all types of holidays require chic evening dresses for either cocktail sipping on rooftop bars at sunset or late night dining overlooking the ocean, you want to turn heads in a stunning dress.

Be practical

Are you taking a carry-on or going luxe with checked in luggage? Align your expectations of what you're taking with the amount of physical space (and weight restrictions) you are working with. Knowing your boundaries from the off-set will save time (and emotions) when you come to actually fitting it all into your case of choice. A little tip we all appreciate at LBD is to pack a few holiday SOS essentials in to your hand luggage. Those who have ever landed at their final destination but their luggage has not will understand. A good way to think of it is this, if you never got your case back for the entirety of your trip, what items would you sorely miss (that special dress, those expensive sunglasses, your favourite sandals, sentimental jewellery, a bikini and some underwear).

Be honest

Are you really going to need those five pairs of heels, or is there one pair that will go perfectly well with all of your dresses? Being honest with yourself is half the battle. One pair of simple nude heels will take up less space and more than likely go with everything, so you know they make more sense. With dresses, sometimes taking a few classic black styles like a summer maxi dress or shift dress will work out a lot better than extravagant gowns – especially when it comes to packing! We know this one is going to hurt but try to avoid packing things just because you like them or because you think you might want to wear them, if you don't wear them at home then they're just taking up precious space. It's cruel, we know, but they're not your children. Remember, there's a fine line between having options and over packing.

Be clever

Capsule dressing is a great idea and definitely something to implement when planning outfits. Capsule dressing isn't an exact science but a little calculation can help in a big way and can save you from getting to the sitting-on-your-suitcase-to-close-it stage. There's nothing more unsatisfying than taking clothes half way around the world only to end up not wearing them and having to repack and cart them home again – oh the waste. Here's how it works: Start by establishing how many days you are going for. Let's say you are going for five days. That's potentially five day options and five evening options that are needed, give or take a night depending on when you arrive/leave. Our top tip for this is to master the mix and match method, take a handful of easy-to-wear essentials (t-shirts, shorts, linen trousers, a light jacket), in no more than three different shades, lay them all out and see how many outfit combinations you can create. Keep going until you get to five. If you can't wear something with two different pieces, then don't pack it. For evenings, dresses are ideal and make for the perfect suitcase space saver. Select a couple of chic dresses then mix and match with a few different shoe and accessory combinations and all of a sudden you have one dress that can work in two or three different ways! This is especially helpful if you're on holiday for a longer period of time. Day-to-night dressing is another method Team LBD swear by. Where appropriate, take a simple dress for one whole day and style cleverly to transition seamlessly from day to evening. Take the timeless shift dress as an example, worn with flat sandals and a light cover up it works elegantly for day and when teamed with heels and statement jewellery is instantly transformed into something more evening appropriate.

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Our final tip: Be ruthless

It's in your best interest, we promise. Follow all these rules and jet off in the comfort that you have packed your ultimate holiday wardrobe. You have taken enough options not to be over-faced, there will be no struggling with heaving cases and when you get back home you'll have half the amount of clothes washing to do! Letting you truly relax and enjoy your holiday looking your most fabulous. Shop our amazing collection of holiday dresses here. Jet, set, GO!